Lifeboat



C. G. FISHER LIFEBOAT z Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1929 July 1, 1930. c FlsHER 1,769,500

LIFEBOAT Filed Aug. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gmntoc V similar Patented July 1, 1930 I "PATE-NT-fo1=m-E# c A R n-G; FISHER; OIEKMONTAIIIKI; NEWYORKI 'ILIFEBOAT Application filed August 1929. 'Ser'ialNo. 388,152.

v This invention relates tovli fe boats and;

particularly to distress signal apparatus .to

' be used in connection with the life boats. I An 10 and operating the same. i

I Further objects will become apparent as the description, proceeds.

.. Referring to the accompanying .gas under a'relatively high pressure? For which are mad e'a part hereofand on which I F gure 2 is a vview of the signalling balloonI showing: the lighting apparatus mounted i thereon. a i I a, In the drawings numeral 10 indicates a life bo'at having air; chambers 111 and 12f at each end or otherwise positioned on the boat in orcapsized;

' "The- 'b'oatiitself risac onstruc'ted of strong light material; "For example the ribs 13 may I I bema'de of metal or wood-frames or of rubber V frames,whale bone oriother'strong'but some- -what resilienfimaterial. 1T0 thesegrib's the of theballoon and isgas follows: Thetopfof the balloonis secured around a board or plate 7 a body; of the boat-is sewedjor riveted so as to make a ugged construction but yet relatively flight.

boat in "whichbabinetsignalling apparatusis ffkep't hen the b'oa-t is not in use as. a life I ed aboveit. @The cable 16, ofcourse, be of 10011 with its signallightto be seen from a eat di tance e l- Q :Q ve iz may carry a cor'd as much as'SOO feetjlong. -A

"cable of thislength allows the balloonto rise to 'ajhei'ght at which itmayjbe seen from a very great distance Thegballoon' and the reference characters indicate similar tokeep it buoyant even though it might be A storage cabinetillis secured within the} any convenientlength so as to allow the' bal- I means for mounting and'operating the light [will now be describedQI-The balloon itself may be made of any suitable material such for example as a light high quality of silk reinforced by very light netting in orderfto reinforce the bag to withstand the pressure normally required in balloons for a reason which will later appear.

p I The lower part ofthe balloon bagissecured Y around a tube 19 which projects into the bag.

' This tube v19 has a bottle or drum 2Q onits lower end which drumv is filled with hydrogen I asmall balloonof the'kind contemplated a drum containlng between eight to ten cubic inches is sufiicient. These are filledwith hydrogen to apressure of from 400 to .600 II pounds per square inch. LTh e drum itself; a

maybe made of thin high tensile steel or'out 0fduraluminum.: The tube 19 has a valve 21 by means of which the 'fiow ofgas from -the drum 20 into the balloon may be regulated as 1 ofthe gas which is'some'what higher than that V desired. Ittmay furthermore be desiredtoy;

have-the valve 21 automatic inaction so as to keep a 'constant predetermined pressure with in theballoon 17. Such pressure regulated valves are well known andsincethese-forrn no I II I I specifictpart of the invention the details will: i, 1 r i '80 V V notfbe' further described}? I -Thelighting' apparatus is mounted on} top 22. This board may be of cork or other;1;

strong butlight material." A plate of asbestos 1 -34 is-secured upon the cork board. A series I of posts 23 of strong light material s uch for; example as aluminum--wires may fo r na I vijded with' vent-ilatingopenings Open- I ings 26 at 'the baseof the housingprovlde suitable air inlets for a gas burner 27,:upo'n; which a suitable mantle28 is supported: The gas mantle is-s'upportedby wires 29. reflector 30 isi securedbeneath the burner. This reflector may be ofany; suitable material such for example as polishe'd{ chromium.-- The burner tube'27 extend s ffthroughfthe plate 22- I built into each end to provide buoyancyfor the boat, a reel rotatably secured at oneend of the boat, a storage chamber for signalling apparatus positioned adjacent the said reel, a cable-Wound around the reel having a balloon attached to one end, a gas drum detachably secured to the lower end of the balloon to supply it With gas and a signal. light mounted upon the balloon, and means for comprising a balloon anchored to the boat,'a

for inflating said balloon from said gas drum to cause it to rise, a plate mounted in the top of said balloon, a transparent-houscontrolling admission of gas fromthe drum to the balloon to maintain the balloon inflated, substantially as set forth.

6. A signal device for a life boat c0mprising a balloon attached to rise above the life boat, means for maintaining a predetermined gas pressure within the balloon to maintain it aloft, a signal light carriedby the balloon,

and means for maintaining the light by escaping gas from the balloon, substantially 'as set forth.

7 A signalling apparatus for a life boat gas drum mounted below the balloon, means ing mounted upon the plate, a gas burner within the housing, means for supplying gas to said burner fromthe inflated balloon,

means for maintaining ;a predetermined pressure in said balloon by regulating the York, this 23rd day of August, A, D. nine- 7 teen hundred and twenty-lune;

1 CARL G. FlSHEB; 

